(Toyota made few changes on the 2000 4Runner and Matt Hagin wonders
how long the same version will last. Father Bob says the buying public
votes on its staying power each year by buying them in bunches.)

MATT - All the neat things we found on our Toyota 4Runner are the
result of engineering trial and error. There were very few changes made
this year and none at all the powerplant department. There's still a
2.7-liter inline four-cylinder with 150 horses as the base unit but ours
had a 3.4 liter V6. Both engines use cast iron blocks with aluminum
heads, and both have double-over-head cams and four valves per cylinder.
Also, they're both tuned to run on 87-octane gasoline. Since the price
of fuel is skyrocketing in many parts of the country, the money that's
saved could make a payment or two on a 4Runner down the line. And it
comes in either two-or-four-wheel drive.

BOB - The 4Runner V6 pumps out 183 horsepower and 217 pound-feet of
torque which allowed us to launch to 60 mph in around 10 seconds. Our
test rig had an optional four-speed automatic transmission, but a
five-speed manual is the standard gearbox. This running gear is mounted
on a full-length ladder frame and then drives to a solid rear axle. And
although the chassis is typically truck, the rear suspension uses a
four-link design with coil springs. This makes it ride less like the
truck from which it's based.

MATT - But it's not a softy, Dad, and that's because at heart, it's
a rugged 4X4. We tested one of the four-wheel drive versions and it was
interesting to find that there are two different systems that drive the
front wheels on four-wheel-drive 4Runners. The slicker of the pair is
the one used on our Limited model. It can be kept in an all-wheel drive
mode all the time. It kicks in power to the front wheels when the
computer detects slippage to any of the four corners. With the other two
versions, the SR5 and the base 4Runner, a more conventional truck-based
unit that locks the front and rear differentials together is used. Both
have low range built into the transfer case in the event the driver
wants to do some boulder-crawling. And for serious mud-sluggers, there's
a locking rear differential available on the Limited. An interesting
feature is that when the rear differential is locked in, the anti-lock
braking system automatically switches off because the rear wheels can't
spin independently anymore. It's a little-used safety feature, but worth
the money when the need arises.

BOB - Although you can't prove it by me, I guess that the 4Runner is
a good sports rig and family vacation transporter. It has a 5000-pound
towing capacity, which is plenty for a vacation trailer or a ski boat.
And it can carry 1275 pounds of payload, so it should be no problem
stuffing everybody onboard for a trip. Our rig came with an optional
power glass sunroof and I guess that the $815 extra isn't exorbitant in
today's market considering they cost over $1000 on many new cars. The
two front windows had power up-and-down with the one-touch feature. The
windows and sunroof both have an "Anti-Jam" system that reverses the
closure if they're blocked.

BOB - The rear tonneau cover proved to be useful in day-to-day
travels. It hides cargo and other stuff from the people who don't need
to know what's back there and keeps the sun from baking bags of
groceries before we can get them home. Our Limited came with the "Engine
Immobilizer" option that keeps the vehicle from being started without
the key that has the right electronic code. But the 4Runner was kind of
big for my tastes. The Toyota RAV4 mini-SUV is more my style. I never
wanted to drive around in something I couldn't push off to the side of
the road if needed. But at least the 4Runner isn't as big as some of the
huge land-barges that we've had recently. I have a tough time seeing the
corners of those behemoths.

MATT- Over the years, surveys have found that very few SUV buyers
are using their vehicles to go off-road and into remote camping areas.
They say they prefer to "rough it" in fancy resorts and vacation spas.